Eventually, Rivermen shining the brightest in win over Stars

The Peoria Rivermen gave the Texas Stars too many golden opportunities with penalties Thursday.

But the Rivermen recovered after allowing a three-goal lead to melt away and got a sterling game-winning goal late in the third period to beat the Stars, 5-3, before 3,074 at Carver Arena.

Dave Eminian

The Peoria Rivermen gave the Texas Stars too many golden opportunities with penalties Thursday.

But the Rivermen recovered after allowing a three-goal lead to melt away and got a sterling game-winning goal late in the third period to beat the Stars, 5-3, before 3,074 at Carver Arena.

Peoria winger Brett Sterling escaped the penalty box and joined a charge into the Texas zone at 13:15 of the third period, took a drop pass from Stefan Della Rovere, and sent a low wrister past goaltender Richard Bachman and in off the left post for 4-3.

Anthony Nigro added an empty-netter with 24 seconds left, sliding in a backhander from center ice, to send the surging Rivermen to their third win in four games — and four straight games in which they earned points — and allow them to close to within one point of the Midwest Division lead.

“I made a mistake there, took a penalty I shouldn’t have, and you can’t give a team like that all those power play chances,” Sterling said. “Right as I left the box Della Rovere went by and I followed him. He made a great pass and sucked two Texas guys toward him, and I was happy to be alone over there in the right circle and get a shot.

“Believe me, it was a relief to score.”

The Rivermen punched out a two-goal, two-fight first period.

Brett Sonne jumped on a rebound of a drive by defenseman Ian Cole for an open-net putaway from the right circle past Bachman at 11:07.

Sterling ripped the puck from the right circle across Bachman and into the top left corner for 2-0 at 16:17.

The Rivermen rolled to 3-0 on a power play 47 seconds into the second period when Derek Nesbitt put away a loose puck from the right side of the crease as Bachman kneeled and knocked his own net off its moorings.

But the Rivermen sent Texas’ AHL No. 1-ranked power play unit four times in the period, and it cost them the lead as the Stars cashed in twice.

Tomas Vincour beat goaltender Ben Bishop to an open right side of the net on a shot from the right circle off a broken play during a power play at 10:18.

Defenseman Jordie Benn’s wrister from the high slot sailed through a screen for 3-2 at 12:19.

The Stars tied it on a power play as time expired when Matt Fraser’s shot from the bottom of the right circle bounced past Bishop. Referee Curtis Marouelli counted the goal, although there was no time left on the clock and no faceoff afterward.

The penalty onslaught continued early in the third period as the Rivermen took their fifth minor infraction in a span of 17:51.

“We made mistakes on our penalty-kill, failing clearing chances, not handling their speed on breakouts,” Rivermen coach Jared Bednar said. “We looked like we were in position to block shots, but the shots went right by us. But give Texas credit, they are a creative unit that caused traffic and gets to the net with good timing, very tough to defend.

“I think we got away from our game in that second period, stopped skating with them. Because of that we were in the box. But I really liked our first period, and the third, too.”

Dave Eminian covers the Rivermen and hockey for the Journal Star. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Check his sports blog, Cleve’s World, on pjstar.com and follow him on Twitter via @icetimecleve.